Drink Up, Charlotte!
2006 Water Quality Report
Our drinking water
once again meets and
exceeds all state and
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities employees work around the clock to
provide high quality drinking water, while protecting your health and
our environment. We send this report annually, as federally mandated,
to help you learn more about our water and water sources in our community. We invite you to read on about Charlotte's drinking water and
how it arrives to your tap.
federal drinking water
standards.
Our Shared Water Sources
Mountain Island Lake and Lake Norman supply our treatment plants
with high quality water for your home, business or school. These surface
waters are part of the Catawba River Basin, which provides water for
more than 1.5 million people in our growing region. Utilities operates
three water treatment plants, and they collectively clean an average of
110 million gallons a day for 750,000 people in Mecklenburg County.
Our Treatment Process
Long before you step in the shower or turn on the tap, Utilities
employees have overseen numerous processes to protect our drinking
water and those who use it. First we pump the water from Mountain
Island Lake and Lake Norman to one of the three water treatment
plants—Franklin, Vest or Dukes. We add aluminum sulfate (alum) in
the rapid mix phase to cause dirt particles to clump together, where
they are removed through settling. The water then flows through filters
that trap even smaller particles. We add chlorine to prevent bacterial
growth and fluoride to promote dental health. We also use lime to
adjust the water’s pH and prevent pipe corrosion. We then pump the
water to homes, businesses and storage tanks through 3,500 miles of
water pipes.
Lakes
Filtration and Disinfection
Distribution
Homes and Businesses
What’s in Our Water?
Utilities tests for more than 150 different substances throughout the
year, and this report lists only those substances actually found in the
water. Many of those impurities occur naturally in the environment. The
following chart outlines the substances detected in your water in 2006,
how those levels compare with federal limits and the likely sources of
those impurities. For a complete list of substances not detected, please
call 311 or visit www.cmutilities.com.
Substances Found in Our Drinking Water in 2006
Contaminant
Microbial Contaminants
Total Coliform (% positive)
Distribution System
Turbidity
Turbidity (NTU)
Franklin
Vest
Lee Dukes
Inorganic Contaminants
Fluoride (ppm)
Franklin
Vest
Lee Dukes
Volatile Organic Chemical Contaminants
Ethylbenzene (ppb)
Franklin
Total Xylenes (ppm)
Franklin
Copper and Lead Contaminants
Copper (ppm)
Distribution System
Lead (ppb)
Distribution System
0 of 52 sites exceeded Action Levels (AL)
Radioactive Contaminants
Beta emitters (pCi/L)
Franklin
Lee Dukes
Combined Radium (pCi/L)
Lee Dukes
Disinfection Byproducts Contaminants
TTHM (ppb)
Franklin
Vest
Lee Dukes
Distribution System
HAA5 (ppb) Haloacetic Acids
Franklin
Vest
Lee Dukes
Distribution System
TOC Removal
Total Organic Carbon (ppm)
Franklin
Vest
Lee Dukes
Meets Standard
✔
Your Water
EPA Limit
EPA Goal Likely Source
MCL
MCLG
0.67% monthly average No more than
1.92% highest
5% positive/month
monthly %
✔
0.16/100%
0.16/100%
0.11/100%
✔
0
TT = 1 NTU
N/A
TT = % of samples ≤0.3
4
700
700
10
10
AL = 1.3
1.3
AL = 15
0
50
0
Decay of natural and man-made
deposits
5
0
Erosion of natural deposits
80
N/A
By-product of drinking water
chlorination
60
N/A
By-product of drinking
water disinfection
0.5
✔
0.003
✔
✔
None detected @
90th percentile
None detected @
90th percentile
✔
3.7
3.75
✔
Soil runoff
4
1.02
0.99
0.99
✔
Naturally present in the
environment
Erosion of natural deposits;
water additive that promotes
strong teeth
Discharge from petroleum
refineries
Discharge from petroleum
refineries or chemical factories
Corrosion of household plumbing;
erosion of natural deposits
Corrosion of household plumbing;
erosion of natural deposits
1.6
✔
34.2
34.7
29.3
40.2
✔
18
20
15
20.4
Meets
Standard
✔
RAW Average
(Min–Max)
TREATED Average
(Min–Max)
1.46 (1.19–1.87)
1.44 (1.19–1.83)
1.46 (1.19–1.76)
1.03 (0.80–1.28)
1.05 (0.87–1.23)
1.01 (0.78–1.34)
Compliance
Criteria
< 2.0
Likely Source
Naturally present in the
environment
Our Results
Our state-certified water treatment
operators and expertly trained lab
staff work to provide an average of
110 million gallons of clean drinking
water every day. Utilities conducted
more than 150,000 drinking water
tests in 2006, which far exceeds the
required amount. Even the highest
contaminant levels detected were
well below federal limits; you can feel Charlotte Department of Transportation employee
Veronica Wallace is our 2007 Water Week photo
confident in the quality of your water.
contest winner. Congratulations!
Glossary
Action Level (AL) – the concentration of a contaminant, which if
exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements.
EPA Goal/Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) – the level of a
contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or
expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.
EPA Limit/Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) – the highest level of a
contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close
to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available technology.
Non-Applicable (N/A) – information not applicable or required.
Non-Detects (N/D) – laboratory analysis indicates that the contaminant
is not present at the level of detection set for the particular
methodology used.
Parts per billion (ppb) – one part per billion (micrograms per liter)
corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or one penny in $10 million.
Parts per million (ppm) – one part per million (milligrams per liter)
corresponds to one minute in two years, or a single penny in $10,000.
Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) – a measure of radioactivity in water.
Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) – a measure of the cloudiness of the
water. Turbidity over 5 ntu is just noticeable to the average person.
Low turbidity is a good indicator of the effectiveness of our filtration
system.
Total Organic Carbon (TOC) – has no health effects; however, organics
provide a medium for the formation of disinfection byproducts. The
TOC compliance criteria applies only to treated water.
TT – a treatment technique is a required process intended to reduce the
level of a contaminant in drinking water.
Turbidity % – low percentages are a goal for all substances except turbidity. The turbidity rule requires that 95% or more of the monthly samples
must be below 0.5 ntu.
EPA sets Maximum
Contaminant Levels
very stringently. A
person would have to
drink two liters of water
that contained a
substance at the MCL
level every day for a
lifetime to have a onein-a-million chance of
having the described
health effect.
Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) Results
Utilities provides an
average of 110 million
gallons of drinking water
a day to Mecklenburg
County homes and
businesses.
The state’s Source Water Assessment Program conducts periodic evaluations of all
drinking water sources across North Carolina to determine their susceptibility to
potential contaminant sources. A rating of “higher” does not indicate poor water
quality - only the system’s vulnerability to become contaminated in the future by
potential sources.
The susceptibility rating for each water source was determined by considering the
number and location of potential contaminants, along with the conditions of your
water source and watershed. For a more detailed report, visit
http://www.deh.enr.state.nc.us/pws/swap.
Please note that because SWAP results and reports are periodically updated, the
results on this Web site may differ from the results that were available at the time this
Water Quality Report was prepared. To obtain a printed copy of the SWAP report,
please mail a written request to: Source Water Assessment Program – Report Request,
1634 Mail Service Center, Raleigh NC 27699-1634, or email request to swap@ncmail.net.
If you have any questions about the SWAP report, please contact the Source Water
Assessment staff by phone at 919.715.2633.
Source Name
Inherent
Vulnerability Rating
Contaminant
Rating
Susceptibility
Rating
Date
Mt. Island/Catawba River
Lake Norman
Higher
Higher
Moderate
Higher
Higher
Higher
March 2005
March 2005
What EPA Wants You to Know
Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at
least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not
necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental
Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800.426.4791.
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the
general population. Immunocompromised persons, such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with
HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from
their health care providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the
risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbiological contaminants are
available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800.426.4791.
All sources for tap and bottled water are fed by water that passes over the land’s
surface or from underground. Water collects naturally-occurring minerals, radioactive
material and substances from human and animal activity on its journey.
Impurities that may be present in untreated water include:
■ Microbial - viruses and bacteria from human, agricultural or wildlife sources.
■ Inorganic - salts and metals that are naturally-occurring or result from urban
runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, mining or farming.
■ Pesticides and herbicides - may come from agricultural runoff or residential use.
■ Organic chemicals - may come from industrial or domestic processes, oil and gas
production, runoff and septic systems.
■ Radioactive materials - can be naturally occurring or the result of mining or
human activities.
The EPA regulates the amount of certain substances in your tap water. The Food
and Drug Administration establishes limits for contaminants in bottled water also to
protect public health.
Presorted
Standard
US Postage
PAID
Permit No. 34
Charlotte, NC
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities
5100 Brookshire Boulevard
Charlotte, North Carolina 28216
E C R W S S
Postal Customer
Erinn Rusak, fifth grader
at St. Gabriel School, is
our 2007 Water Week
poster contest winner.
Congratulations!
Why does Utilities add chlorine and fluoride to our water?
Chlorine aids in disinfection, and fluoride provides a defense against tooth decay. Both of these
substances are added to water at the water treatment plant. We add chlorine to prevent bacterial
contamination and keep your water safe on the way to your home or business. Fluoride promotes
good dental health by strengthening tooth enamel. Utilities carefully monitors these levels through
water testing.
Is our water hard or soft?
Water is considered hard if it measures more than 125 parts per million or 7.5 grains per gallon of
trace minerals. Charlotte’s tap water has a hardness measure of 30 parts per million, or 1.8 grains per
gallon, which is considered soft.
For more information:
To report a water quality or billing issue, please call Charlotte-Mecklenburg Customer Service at 311
or 704.336.7600. To learn more about this report or how to get involved in local water issues, call
704.391.4685. Utilities information is also available at www.cmutilities.com.
Translation
La información contenida en este folleto es de gran importancia. Por favor de hablar con una persona que la
entienda o llame por teléfono al número 311 para pedir una copia de este folleto en español.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utility
Public Water System
ID#:01-60-010
Paper is 10% PCW.